San Jose Home Burglary Leads To Discovery Of Marijuana Growing Operation

San Jose police found over 300 pot plants in this home while responding to a burglary call. (CBS)

SAN JOSE (CBS SF) – Officers responding to a report of a possible burglary at a home in San Jose Tuesday morning found what appears to be an illegal marijuana grow consisting of 300 plants, a San Jose police spokesman said.

A call came in at 3:08 a.m. from someone reporting a burglary at a house in the 1300 block of Sandalwood Court, San Jose police Officer Albert Morales said.

Neighbors told police that three suspects who arrived in three vehicles had entered the home and then left a short time later with items in hand, Morales said.

When officers arrived, the vehicles were gone, but officers noticed that a door to the home was ajar, Morales said.

They started to enter the home but stopped when they saw marijuana plants and an intricate grow setup that included complex electrical wiring, police said.

As a precaution, officers exited the home and called in the San Jose Fire Department’s hazardous materials team. The team determined that the home was safe to enter, and police went back in, Morales said.

Officers then seized the 300 plants, which were being grown throughout the house. Elaborate wiring, lighting and ventilation systems had been set up as part of the grow operation, Morales said.

He said that aside from the plants, officers found materials associated with growing marijuana, including fertilizer, wires and heat lamps.

No one was at the home, and investigators are working to get in touch with the tenants or homeowners, Morales said. He said the home appeared to be uninhabited, with barely any furniture.

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